


Robin Needs A Hug and Steve Can Give One

by orphan_account



Series: Tumblr Works [8]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Homophobic Language, Platonic Relationships, Robin Buckley is a lesbian, Steve is a good guy, robin loves steve, steve loves robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: @that-awkward-potato: "Why are your eyes so red?" with Robin and Steve (friendship of course)
Relationships: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Series: Tumblr Works [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769854
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60





	Robin Needs A Hug and Steve Can Give One

Robin could take any names thrown at her. Weirdo, freak, disappointment (her mother’s favorite) and anything else most people can think of, and trust her. People can think of a lot of names. Yet there is one word that makes her lose her confidence. A word that shakes her to the core and makes her lose any train of thought. A word that she has been called so many times in her life before she was even thirteen years old.

_Dyke_

Robin didn't always understand the word. She would hear the slur thrown around in the living room when her mother was on the phone. Maybe low whispers in her parents’ bedroom, but never directly pointed at her.

Until middle school of course. When entering the school of preteens Robin learned a lot of new words. Some were clean and others….not so much. Ranging from Dingus (a personal favorite) to Anal (not her favorite). However, she didn’t learn the definition of the horrid word till one day she heard some boys talking to a nice, quiet girl who Robin had become accustomed to having around and eventually befriending. Truth be told, maybe she liked having her around a little too much, but twelve year old Robin didn’t understand it. 

She was around the corner when the guys started calling the other girl a ‘dyke’. With confusion, she approached the boys and told them to leave her friend alone. She tried to grab her friend’s hand away but the girl flinched away as if Robin’s hand were made out of pure fire. The boys started making comments, “Aw look at the little dykes” or “The little girlfriends are in love.” When the bell rang the boys left and since that day, Robin hasn’t spoken to the other girl.

Throughout the rest of middle school she was known as the dyke.The two idiots started rumors left and right. Some say she was caught making out with a girl in the janitor’s closet and others said she would try to look up girls’ skirts. Either way, it spread like wildfire. Every girl in the bathroom when she entered would run out, whispering a range of slurs. Every boy would look at her disgusted and wasn’t afraid to pull her hair. One got really brave and even chopped a piece off. So when high school happened she tried to seem as normal as possible. Joined band and tried to dress and behave like everyone else. Robin even started talking about (unattractive) boys to other girls just to fit in.

Of course, she discovered she was what they called her because she couldn't stop staring at Tammy Thompson. 

Tammy Thompson, the lead in every musical the school had. Tammy Thompson, the fearless girl who told the lead football player to kindly fuck off. Tammy Thompson, who had the prettiest hazel eyes and the perfect hair length to softly reach her shoulders. Tammy Thompson, Robin’s first real gay crush. Obviously Robin wasn’t going to tell her, so the most she did was watch every musical she was in and hope they would make eye contact at least once. 

Ironic how Robin ended up becoming Tammy’s crush’s best friend.

Now, even years later, the word stings like a bee. Her reflexes were to cry from the pain but her instincts told her not to even look like it affected her. The guy was trying to get t her and she knew it, so she told him to leave her alone. She didn’t even know where this guy came from.

It was a complete normal day. Some of Harrington’s children stopped by earlier to try and check out some R-rated movies (it was a hard no until Max threatened to kick Steve where the sun didn't shine.) and they left with a few movies. Around two:thirty pm, Steve went to get a lunch break with Dustin so she stuck around to watch the store.

The place was completely empty except for a mother with her two little girls. The girls were trying to find a movie they could both agree on but the two had completely different styles. One wore a bright pink dress with a bow in each of her pigtails whereas the other one was wearing overalls and a messy ponytail. The girl in the pink seemed to be winning while the overalls one looked dejected. Robin gave a frown and turned around to look at the book she picked up yesterday. _Annie On My Mind_. 

She was on page twenty seven when an asshole looking dude walked into the store. He had some big leather jacket on with sunglasses resting on his head. Not really bothering to look up from her book she just gave a simple, “Welcome.” The guy walked around to the front of the counter, taking his precious time then leaned up against the counter. “What are you reading?”. Robin quickly closed her book and put it under the counter. “What can I help you with?”, she gave him the fakest smile ever.

Eyeing her up and down he gave a slick smile, “Can you tell me where I can rent something a little _naughty_.” Robin almost slapped the guy there and then but the young family of girls came over to check out something and she wasn’t going to make a scene in front of the young mother and girls. “Give me one moment.”, she told the douche and faced the girls. 

“Hey, guys. What’d you guys choose today?”. The girly one put ‘ _Annie’_ up on the counter as the other held a movie close to her chest. “Lizzy, honey, go put that movie back. We can’t afford to rent both. Next time.”, the mother said to her other daughter clutching onto a movie. Lizzy looked close to tears as Robin saw her face and something inside of her softened when she looked at the girl. 

“What movie are you holding onto?”, Robin softly asked. Lizzy showed her the cover of the case. _‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’._ “Oh, that’s one of my favorites”, she told the young girl. The daughter nodded and she took it in a way that meant ‘Me too’. Robin faced the mother and told her she’d paid for it. The mother, embarrassed, shook her head but Robin persisted. “Just pay it forward.”

She felt the guy still looking at her but she shook that thought away and within a few moments both of the daughters were filled with joy as they walked out with two good movies. The sweet moment over, Robin turned back to whatever this guy considered himself. “We have an isle for whatever you’re looking for.”

Robin led him through the store and she noticed for a moment that there is no one else in the place. It left her alone with some guy who did not give her good vibes. With a shiver, she stopped at the aisle of ‘ _naughty’_ stuff. “Here you go”, she said as she turned around to walk back to the front. “Wait!”, he grabbed her hand.

She turned around and pulled her arm free, “What? Don’t touch me.” Venom practically was oozing from her tone. “I was wondering if you’d like a date.” She almost laughed in his face. Robin was in an almost porn aisle because this guy wanted something ‘naughty’. Not to mention he just grabbed her arm. In an almost porn aisle. She mustered up a light tone, “Sorry. I’m not ready for a date.”

Damn, she was good at lying. It made her almost sound sincere. Robin turned around and walked out of the aisle. She had almost made it to the desk when the guy was following her and mumbled an incoherent sentence. “Excuse me?”, she faced the man. “I said you fucking dyke.”. He walked past her and out the door.

Robin paused. Did he just call her-? She was a...that for not wanting to go on a date?

_Dyke_

The word took her back to when she was younger and suddenly it felt like she was twelve again. In front of those boys with a girl who didn’t like her anymore. She felt tears start to swell up and she began walking into the bathroom. Not bothering to look up, Robin focused on her shoes. Her red hightops were blurry as she opened the bathroom door. She wiped her eyes and looked into the mirror. She hates how her pale skin gets to be a bright red when she cries. She hates how she _can’t_ be normal.

~

Steve walked into the store, tired from his lunch break. You think he’d feel slightly better but Dustin is a pain in the ass at times. He loves him. He really does, but he needs a break sometimes. “Robin, you will not believe what Henderson just told me-”

He stopped expressing his thoughts when he noticed Robin wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Steve peaked over the desk and turned around, “Rob?”. He looked over the isles of movies and recorded Tv shows to search for his feisty friend. His mind went to the bathroom so he went to the door and softly knocked on the door. “Robin, you in there?”

He heard the water get turned on and the napkin dispenser getting used. “One second!”, Robin yelled out. He waited there for a second and it processed that her voice sounded raw. She opened the door and Steve immediately noticed her red eyes. **_“Why are your eyes so red?”_ **

Robin gave a fake laugh and shook her head, “Allergies, dingus.” She is a terrible liar. Steve creased his brow and was about to say something when an older woman approached them. “Sir, can I please get some service? I’ve been waiting for ten minutes and-”. Steve cut her off, “Give us ten.”

Steve pushed Robin back into the bathroom and followed. He could’ve sworn he heard the older woman say something but he was too concerned for Robin. “What’s up, man? Are you okay?”. Robin nodded but he knew she wasn’t. “You don’t need to lie to me, Robin.”. 

“What makes you think I’m lying?!”, she shouted. Tears were now clearly in her eyes and he wanted to wipe them away so badly. “I’m fine! Leave me alone!”, she tried to get to the door but he held the handle, keeping the door shut. “You are not fine. You’re going to cry.” She looked at the door and fear flashed in her eyes. Seeing her having fear, he let go immediately. “Robin, you can go. I just want to help.”, he softly said.

“Am I dyke?”

His brain stopped completely and for a few seconds he couldn’t respond. Just as fast though, it started working and he realized the question’s intentions. “No! No, never.”. “But”, she worked her words out, “I..I like girls, Steve.”. “Robin, I too also like girls.” She shook her head, “I am a girl who likes girls. I’m not normal. I’m wrong-”.

Steve didn’t know what to do so he did something he did (kinda) know how to do. He pulled her into a small hug. A friend hug. “Don’t say that about yourself.”, he said, his mouth pressed against her fore-head. “You don't get it.”, she said in her crying voice. A little, raspy one that broke Steve’s heart. “I don’t and I ever will , he admitted, “but I’m here for you, Robin.”

She nodded and all he could do was hold her for a moment. She lightly sobbed and all he did was slightly pet her head. He loves her more than words could describe. She may never be his girlfriend but she will forever be his best friend, and that’s so much better.

After a few seconds (or honestly minutes) she pulled away and light laughed. “Why are all our moments in a bathroom?”. He laughed and wiped a tear that was falling away. “Because every time you get done talking, your face is normally flushed.” Robin started laughing harder and so did he. After her crying, it’s good to see her smile and laugh. “You’re a dingus.”, she managed out.

He nodded and asked his question, “What made you...y’know?”. She sighed, “Some idiot came in here and started flirting with me. I told him I wasn’t interested and he called me that word and I don’t know. Normally I don’t cry like some child but-”

“You aren’t a child, Robin. You are amazing and cool. Awesome. I could never be like you.”

“It’s a gift.”, sarcasm laced into her voice and he just shook his head. Robin’s back and so for a little celebration he had to pull her into a happier hug. This time she wrapped her arms around his waist and everything felt right. He loved his friend. When they were hugging a thought popped into his head. “What was this guy’s name?”

“I don’t know.”, she mumbled into his chest.

“I’m going to beat his ass.”

Robin pulled away to look at Steve in the eyes. “You win one fight and all of a sudden you’re some badass guy.”

He moved his shoulders side to side, “Well...not to brag, but I kinda am.”

“Dingus.”


End file.
